Rubio says Trump launched the Iran war to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions

Trump lists 38 bridges as strike targets if military action resumes

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions, even if the decision was not necessarily popular. Speaking at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida before heading to a Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting in Paris, Rubio declined to discuss Tuesday’s elections directly. The Associated Press reported that the war’s unpopularity and its impact on gasoline prices and other parts of the economy helped Democrats seize control of Congress. Trump said Vice President JD Vance was right to connect the war to Republican losses, though Vance also should have insisted that going to war was the correct choice.

Rubio and Trump address the war decision

Rubio said, “He addressed it even though oftentimes the right thing to do for the country — confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country — doing it isn’t necessarily popular, but necessary.” His remarks came more than eight months after the war began.

Asked about Vice President JD Vance’s social media post last week, which largely blamed the war for Republican losses, Rubio said Trump had “identified a very real threat” in Iran and worked to stop the Islamic Republic from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Vance’s post focused on the war’s role in Republican losses, while Rubio’s answer focused on the threat and the necessity of the decision. The contrasting remarks came amid speculation about possible 2028 presidential campaigns for both men.

Trump told reporters Sunday that Vance was right, except that his vice president should have also insisted that going to war was the correct choice. “I can tell you if I had it to do again, this historically — for history — will go down as one of the best things we ever did,” Trump said. “Because if they ever had a nuclear weapon, they would blow up the world.”

Iran’s nuclear facts and negotiating demands

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

The Associated Press reported that mediators were trying to revive talks amid regional concern about a return to major hostilities, while the administration had no clear strategy for winding down the conflict. Rubio said, “I wouldn’t say we’re at the verge of a breakthrough.” He reiterated that Trump preferred a diplomatic solution, but said, “right now, it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.”

The Associated Press also reported that Iran was reviewing proposals presented by chief mediator Qatar aimed at addressing differences with the United States about Tehran’s nuclear program. Officials said Iran was seen as unwilling to negotiate with the Trump administration over its atomic activities until the United States accepted several conditions Tehran had demanded for any ceasefire agreement.

Those conditions included ending the U.S. blockade on Iran’s ports, lifting sanctions, unfreezing its assets, issuing compensation for war damage and ending hostilities throughout the region, including Israeli operations in Lebanon.

Renewed strikes and recent military activity

Trump told CNN in a phone interview Sunday that, as long as the United States saw progress in negotiations with Tehran and Tehran signed a “strong agreement,” it was “highly unlikely it’s going to be necessary” to resume strikes. Trump nevertheless said the United States had identified infrastructure targets, including 38 bridges, that it would strike if military action resumed.

The U.S. military meanwhile had carried out limited strikes on Iran, including against its air defenses, at least twice over the past week. It also fired on and disabled a commercial ship Saturday that the United States says was trying to breach the naval blockade on Iranian ports. Rubio acknowledged that the United States would take defensive actions if needed. “If there’s a clear and present threat to shipping or to our forces in the region, we have a right to defend ourselves,” Rubio said.

Election and economic background

Rubio did not directly address Tuesday’s elections. The Associated Press reported that the Iran war’s unpopularity and its impact on gasoline prices and other parts of the economy helped Democrats seize control of Congress. The outlet also reported that voters blamed Trump’s policies for hurting their finances, including through higher energy prices that resulted from disruptions to shipments in the Strait of Hormuz. One-fifth of the world’s oil transited that waterway before the war.

Price reported from West Palm Beach, Fla.